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Happy HEALTHY Holidays!
Yes, I know. It’s the holiday season and you have “no time” for health & fitness … no time to even read this newsletter. So, I’ll be succinct. The purpose for this issue is two-fold: first, to show you that it doesn’t take a lot of time to maintain your current state of fitness and, secondly, to motivate you to take the small steps needed to maintain what you’ve already attained.
If you haven’t attained anything that needs to be maintained, then now’s the time to start – not four weeks from now, after the damage has been done. Beginning a fitness routine in the New Year can be like trying to start swimming after you’ve had the wind knocked out of you. You know what happens in that case? You’ll increase your chances of drowning. And so it is with too many people’s New Year’s resolutions – by late January, they’re already sunk. This is not to suggest that you can’t attain success by beginning your resolutions in January. I am suggesting, though, that it’s so much more difficult by waiting till then.
To assure yourself of success with your health goals, now’s the time to kick it off. Here are some simple steps:
- Keep your strength workouts short and sweet (by sweet, I mean intense); no chatting between sets, no TV-gazing, no cell phones, no texting—that’s right NO TEXTING, under any circumstance. Make each minute, each repetition count! Choose 2 opposing muscles to target, and superset your workout; for example, work chest and back, or biceps and triceps. Another combo can be shoulder and legs. Your strength workout can last between 10 and 15 minutes.
- Keep your cardio workouts short and sweet (again, intensity is key). To maintain intensity, again there’s no room for chatting, TV, cells, nor texting. (Who ever said short workouts don’t require discipline?) Perform interval training whereby you alternate your usual intensity (speed, elevation, etc.) with an intensity that’s greater than you’ve ever done before. The ratio could be 1 minute of your usual intensity to 20 seconds of your elevated intensity.
If you insist on not having time, here are two more options which are more convenient:
- For strength workouts, use a band or adjustable dumbbells at home
- For cardio, incorporate brisk aerobic movement into your day-to-day activities. Do 10 minutes three times per day. Be sure to walk as often as possible, each day. Get on public transportation 1 stop later, and get off one stop early (even when you’re carrying gifts). If you commute by car, always park at the furthest distance possible – preferably a 10 minute walk from your destination. Use stairs instead of escalators and elevators, whenever possible.
By carving out even a small amount of time for fitness, you’ll reap so many rewards during this hectic season of stress and added responsibilities: reduced stress, increased energy, elevated sense of well-being, and a jump-start on your health goals for the New Year. As for the holidays, you’ll actually enjoy them to a greater extent.
Happy HEALTHY Holidays to you and your loved ones!!!
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